Michigan's coordinators and players met the media Thursday morning in Atlanta two days before the Peach Bowl ... here's what we picked up.
First, redshirt junior Zach Gentry is considering foregoing his fifth year for a shot at the NFL. He's submitted for a grade, but he doesn't know what it is yet (or says he doesn't). Later he said he did, and it was in a "good area." One of the plusses of coming back, he said ... "it's Michigan," No. 1, and he knows the personnel they have coming back next year.
He's received a lot of feedback after dropping three passes in the Ohio State game, and he felt bad about letting his team down. He said tight ends coach Sherrone Moore helped him deal with it by popping in film of New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski dropping three balls in a game and noting, "it happens." Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, too, told him to take a few days to decompress and then realize he had a really good year.
The bottom line, though, Hamilton said: "We have to make plays in big games." That's been lacking, and they're looking for answers and know it needs to improve.
Hamilton, asked if he was still looking at being a head coach after interviewing with Maryland, said he was living in the moment and worried about the Florida game and getting better.
"Now THAT was politically correct," he quipped after the interview was over ... it does appear he's still looking around.
This Florida defense is a good one, he said, citing "No. 99 and No. 23" as guys who are really good players on film.
Hamilton said freshman running back Christian Turner has really good speed and ability to get the most out of every play.
"We'll see if it translates on the field if he gets the opportunity to carry the ball," he said.
As for junior quarterback Shea Patterson's return ... Hamilton said there was nothing they could say to the other quarterbacks (redshirt frosh Dylan McCaffrey and frosh Joe Milton) to make them feel better about waiting their turn.
"They want to play right now," he said, noting all they could do was continue to battle and fight for playing time and put themselves in position to play.
Other offense notes:
• Gentry said frosh Mustapha Muhammad had been looking really good in practice.
"He's been banged up, but he's got fresh legs now," he said.
• Patterson said he knew a week after the Ohio State game he was probably coming back to Michigan.
"I love it here," he said. "Last year was really only my first full year playing college football" ... and he was used to seasons being over in November playing at Ole Miss.
They've got unfinished business, and he said there was no way he was going to leave on such a bad note (losing 62-39 to Ohio State). You can tell he wants another crack at it.
On the defensive side, coordinator Don Brown said they had "a good season, but a terrible week" in describing the season. He said there were head scratching mistakes that they wouldn't have seen in Week One, but "the bucks stops with me."
He said OSU quarterback Dwayne Haskins was as good as advertised.
"That game is not looked upon lightly. Everybody feels it. But the response here has been really good in practice," he said.
Corner Vincent Gray, safeties Sammy Faustin and J'marick Woods are really playing well. Linebacker Cam McGrone "looks really fast," Brown said, and defensive lineman Donovan Jeter is "really strong" inside. They need to continue to build there, he said, and they'll have to move some guys around, but he really likes the future of the defense.
Josh Ross and Jordan Anthony are really playing well at linebacker, and he's got a lot of confidence in them replacing Devin Bush.
Brown said he was interested in a head coach job with the right school, which is why he listened to Temple. He said he has recruiting connections up and down the Eastern seaboard down to Florida, but he's not going to conform to be what somebody wants him to be just to be a head coach. He also said he's not "ringing doorbells" looking for a job. He's very happy at Michigan, not working on a new contract or anything.
Brown said he was "in the tank" all summer when at UMass as a coordinator after his team lost to Appalachian State one year, "Until they came to the Big House (in 2007) and beat Michigan. Then I'm like, 'I'm good.'"
We'll have much more today from the Peach Bowl ...
First, redshirt junior Zach Gentry is considering foregoing his fifth year for a shot at the NFL. He's submitted for a grade, but he doesn't know what it is yet (or says he doesn't). Later he said he did, and it was in a "good area." One of the plusses of coming back, he said ... "it's Michigan," No. 1, and he knows the personnel they have coming back next year.
He's received a lot of feedback after dropping three passes in the Ohio State game, and he felt bad about letting his team down. He said tight ends coach Sherrone Moore helped him deal with it by popping in film of New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski dropping three balls in a game and noting, "it happens." Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, too, told him to take a few days to decompress and then realize he had a really good year.
The bottom line, though, Hamilton said: "We have to make plays in big games." That's been lacking, and they're looking for answers and know it needs to improve.
Hamilton, asked if he was still looking at being a head coach after interviewing with Maryland, said he was living in the moment and worried about the Florida game and getting better.
"Now THAT was politically correct," he quipped after the interview was over ... it does appear he's still looking around.
This Florida defense is a good one, he said, citing "No. 99 and No. 23" as guys who are really good players on film.
Hamilton said freshman running back Christian Turner has really good speed and ability to get the most out of every play.
"We'll see if it translates on the field if he gets the opportunity to carry the ball," he said.
As for junior quarterback Shea Patterson's return ... Hamilton said there was nothing they could say to the other quarterbacks (redshirt frosh Dylan McCaffrey and frosh Joe Milton) to make them feel better about waiting their turn.
"They want to play right now," he said, noting all they could do was continue to battle and fight for playing time and put themselves in position to play.
Other offense notes:
• Gentry said frosh Mustapha Muhammad had been looking really good in practice.
"He's been banged up, but he's got fresh legs now," he said.
• Patterson said he knew a week after the Ohio State game he was probably coming back to Michigan.
"I love it here," he said. "Last year was really only my first full year playing college football" ... and he was used to seasons being over in November playing at Ole Miss.
They've got unfinished business, and he said there was no way he was going to leave on such a bad note (losing 62-39 to Ohio State). You can tell he wants another crack at it.
On the defensive side, coordinator Don Brown said they had "a good season, but a terrible week" in describing the season. He said there were head scratching mistakes that they wouldn't have seen in Week One, but "the bucks stops with me."
He said OSU quarterback Dwayne Haskins was as good as advertised.
"That game is not looked upon lightly. Everybody feels it. But the response here has been really good in practice," he said.
Corner Vincent Gray, safeties Sammy Faustin and J'marick Woods are really playing well. Linebacker Cam McGrone "looks really fast," Brown said, and defensive lineman Donovan Jeter is "really strong" inside. They need to continue to build there, he said, and they'll have to move some guys around, but he really likes the future of the defense.
Josh Ross and Jordan Anthony are really playing well at linebacker, and he's got a lot of confidence in them replacing Devin Bush.
Brown said he was interested in a head coach job with the right school, which is why he listened to Temple. He said he has recruiting connections up and down the Eastern seaboard down to Florida, but he's not going to conform to be what somebody wants him to be just to be a head coach. He also said he's not "ringing doorbells" looking for a job. He's very happy at Michigan, not working on a new contract or anything.
Brown said he was "in the tank" all summer when at UMass as a coordinator after his team lost to Appalachian State one year, "Until they came to the Big House (in 2007) and beat Michigan. Then I'm like, 'I'm good.'"
We'll have much more today from the Peach Bowl ...
